Evoked Potentials for Prediction of Functional Outcome in Patients with Stroke

J Korean Assoc EMG Electrodiagn Med 2004;6(1):30-37.
Published online May 10, 2004.

Abstract

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to evaluate prognostic significance of evoked potentials in patients with stroke. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of the 69 patients with stroke who received rehabilitation services and were evaluated with evoked potential study. The findings of visual evoked potentials (VEPs), brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were compared with the patients’characteristics, such as demographic factors, past medical history, etiology, clinical symptoms and functional and cognitive functions. Results: The patients with diabetic mellitus, aphasia, sensory impairment or hemorrhage showed higher abnormal responses in median and tibial SSEPs as compared to patients without them(p<0.05). The patients with normal SSEPs had significant higher FIM and MMSE scores at admission and discharge. However FIM gain and FIM efficiency were not correlated with the SSEP findings. The findings of BAEPs and VEPs were not correlated with patients’characteristics. Conclusions: SSEP would be helpful for evaluating the cognitive and functional state of the patients with stroke. However, they did not accurately predict the functional gains.

Key Words: Stroke, Prognostic factors, Evoked potential, FIM, MMSE